Many situations exist wherein rods, posts, pilings and the like are driven into the ground to serve a temporary purpose. By way of example only, and not limitation, in the construction industry it is necessary for steel rods, many feet in length, to be sunk into the ground at the construction site. The rods can serve any purpose, but, for example again, often are used as electrical grounding devices. Certainly, many other needs are served by such temporary rods, such as for surveying purposes, locating cement car stops in parking lots, metal, wood, and cement fence and sign posts and the like.
In any event, once installed, it is often necessary to remove these “rods”. This has proven to be a difficult, time-consuming, and destructive process. That is, for example only, heretofore, the removal of long, metal, rods which have been driven deep into the earth, often results in the rods being bent beyond reusable form. One prior art method is to tie a chain to the rod and use a back hoe, or the like, to yank the rod out of the ground. Even if this is successful, the rod is generally so bent and deformed as to be of no possible further use.
In some cases, the rod has been driven into ground so hard and to such a depth that removal is, for all practical purposes, impossible. In this case, the prior art solution is to cut the rod off as close to the ground level as possible and then drive the stub below grade and leave the rest of the rod forever buried at the construction site.
By way of further example, these metal rods are generally made of steel, are eight to ten feet long, and vary in diameter from one-half to three-quarter inches. Additionally, utility companies, construction firms, and the like, invest a large amount of money in maintaining a supply of such rods. Companies use other rods as well such as four foot long curb pins and two to four foot long grading stakes. Any rods, whether metal, wood, cement, or the like, that can be reclaimed and reused helps reduce the costs to such companies.
Thus, there is a need in the art for providing an apparatus and method for pulling sunken rods or posts that leaves the rods and posts intact and reusable.